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So the folks at Santa Anita got the message loud and clear about the madness that was the first Food Truck Festival held in February, (see my previous post.)A separate admission into the festival, 23 trucks, ridiculously long lines, trucks running out of food – there was reportedly 10,000 folks in the festival alone – not the greatest start.Now, with Food Truck Festival II being held this Saturday, April 2, they hope to make it up to foodies by not having a separate admission fee – yes, just $5 gets you into the park and the infield where the festival will be held – and featuring more than 80 food trucks.I have to admit, I’m a little skeptical. No separate admission can mean there may be way more people trying to get at least one taste of these gourmet food offerings and there will be some trucks who will be more popular than others, no matter how many are offered.For me, the idea of a food truck festival is great because one has the opportunity to try more than one truck in one place versus driving around all over SoCal – it’s a one stop shop!But when there are long wait times and that doesn’t happen, it makes me just want to give up and resort to just following a few fav trucks.I don’t think I’ve been to a festival yet that features over 80 trucks, so guess I’ll wait and see until after how it all went. For more info on the festival and a full list of trucks, visit http://www.santaanita.com/specialevent/2011/food-truck-festival-iiI will not be able to attend, but if anyone out there knows how it went, or has pictures – let me know. Meanwhile, check out below what’s new in the food truck world.

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Forget drive-throughs, food trucks and pop-ups are practically bringing gourmet truck and other delicious food to your front door. But for those who still like the sit-down dinner night out, Breadbar presents the Hatchi Truck Stop.For one night a month for the rest of 2011, a new guest truck will be cooking up a specialty menu of 8 items for $8 a pop at the bakery and pastry shop’s kitchen in Century City. Yes, inside. No eating in your car or outside the truck (unless you have leftovers after.)Kicking off the series tonight, March 31, is Food Network’s “The Great Food Truck Race” winner,Grill ‘Em All. Reservations are essential for all series dinners, served from 6 to 10 p.m., with a minimum purchase of $32 per guest.Last check in by the Grill ‘Em All team is some spots opened up for tonight’s event which will feature heavy-metal inspired cuisines such as Molson Beer and Cheese Soup with Frise, Lardons, and a Bacon
Vinaigrette; “Behemoth Style” Meatballs with BBQ Sauce, Bacon, Smoked
Cheddar, and Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings; Duck Confit Poutine with
Wisconsin Cheese Curds and Rosemary; and Peanut Butter and Jelly Three
Ways-Canap and more. Microbrews from Humboldt
County’s Lost Coast Brewery will be offered along with the menu.Call 310-277-3770 to see if you can snag a table tonight, or for any future series events which includes “The Great Food Truck Race” runner-ups, Nom Nom Truck, Frysmith and more. Visit www.breadbar.net for the full list of trucks and more details.Breadbar is at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles.

If you were at the first ever Food Truck Festival at Santa Anita Park as I was last month, you know how crazy busy they can get and how long one might have to wait just for a nibble of what is to be gourmet food truck fare.

I’ll admit, I was expecting some wait, having been to a food truck festival a while back in Glendale. But this was different. First, the Santa Anita event was a weekend, unlike the festival I’d been to at the Americana was a weekday. A weekend event seems to draw more of a crowd. Second, there was a separate entrance fee to the festival area within the park unlike in Glendale, where it was all open and no extra fee aside from the food.

Web comments after the Santa Anita festival showed how frustrated event attendees were as they waited hours at just one food truck. I arrived with my friends about an hour after the festival began and already could see at least 50 people at each line. Some trucks were already shut down by that time. Lines were intertwining with other lines making it confusing to find an end to one.

A friend and I found the shortest line at the Knockout Tacos Truck, which serves tacos inspired by various global cuisines.

Our other group of friends waited about 30 minutes at the beer garden as well, where the selections weren’t much to be desired but still better than the typical domestic or imports you find at the local dive.

Luckily for me, the KO Taco truck was next to the soundstage and I was entertained by the Spazmatics as I waited, mostly alone. My friends gave up and went to get hot dogs and popcorn from the park concession stands and place a few bets on some races. I hung in, even though there were a few times I also gave up. Every once in a while, the girl taking taco orders would come out and cover up another item on the menu that is sold out. I wondered if it would even be worth waiting all that time – almost three hours – for a few tacos or maybe none at all, if they ran out before I got up to the front of the line.

I hung in considering I hadn’t ever heard of this food truck before and didn’t know if these tacos were any good. I got three behind and I could still see four kinds of tacos on the menu – taco dorado con carne (shredded beef taco in a fried, crunchy tortilla shell); jalapeno teriyaki chicken taco with marinated cucumber and roasted jalapenos; bbq pork burnt ends taco with baked beans and southern style cole slaw; and the taco de papas, or spiced yukon gold mashed potatoes with lettuce, salsa, pico de gallo, cheese and crema mexicana, a Mexican-style cream.

Finally, I reached the end and these taco items were still available – “two of each please,” I said with a slight hesitation. I wasn’t sure if there would be enough to order two of each or if something changed last minute and nothing was available. They were and at $2.50 to $3.50 each, and hours later – I was holding a lot of expectations for these tacos.

As hungry as I was by the time I got the tacos – 10 minutes later – I did share them with friends who still had room after hot dogs.We all agreed the jalapeno teriyaki had moist pieces of chicken and a great cucumber topping, almost like a slaw, with a nice cool spiciness to it. No one else seemed to share the same love and enthusiasm I had for the potato tacos though but they were my favorite. The potatoes were creamy and had a great spicy salsa flavor mashed right in. It was also topped with lots of grated cheese, I can never have enough cheese.

The bbq burnt end taco was also tasty but I was expecting a little more burnt end pieces with a crunchiness where it was more of cubed pork pieces.

The Lobster Truck still had a line as the festival winded down, though smaller, and I was tempted to give it a try. That was one of the trucks we wanted to try first.Instead I settled for some dessert at Tapa Boy, a Filipino food truck. I had the fried flan pieces. My friend visited the Chunk N’ Chip truck for a warm chocolate chip cookie and cool mint ice cream sandwich.

After our experience at two different truck festivals, we decided to just stick to following certain food trucks as they come to the area, one truck at a time. But with the city of Rosemead’s Munch for the Memorial food truck festival this weekend – Saturday and Sunday – and the appearance of the Grill ‘Em All truck, the winners of the Food Network’s first The Great Food Truck Race, I can’t say never just yet.

Even after hearing of the Grill ‘Em All truck coming to the San Gabriel Valley, I couldn’t help but take advantage of their recent President’s Day lunch stop in Echo Park. I happened to be off as well and my husband and I decided for some burger lunch.

We watched the Food Network reality competition show so we’re already aware of some of the burgers the truck featured including the Behemoth – a nice grilled burger patty, cheddar, bacon, beer soaked onions, pickles, Grandma’s mosh pit bbq, sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwich buns. I think the name says it all.

We tried the bbq and chipotle ketchup. Both pretty delicious. My favorite thing about the burgers were we could tell it was quality ground beef, very tasty, and the patties were not small by any means. Mine was even a little medium rare – I love medium rare!

If you don’t mind the festival crowd, check out Grill ‘Em All and more than 15 more food trucks including Tapa Boy, Sweets Truck, Dosa Truck, Jose O’Malleys and more from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 and from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 at the UFC Gym parking lot, 8920 Glendon Way, Rosemead.

The festival is being held to benefit the city’s September 11 Memorial. Admission is free and a limited number of ‘Cut to the Front’ passes will be sold at $20 for each truck on each day. For more information, visit www.cityofrosemead.org, www.facebook.com/rosemeadca or www.grillemalltruck.com .

There’s a fascinating story in the St. Petersburg Times about chef Robert Irvine stretching the truth about his resume. (Robert Irvine stars in Food Network’s “Dinner: Impossible.”) A few of the allegations:

He’s not a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order

He’s not friends with Prince Charles

He didn’t really work on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake

He doesn’t exactly have a bachelor’s of science

He hasn’t cooked in the White House

And here’s the follow-up story with reactions from bloggers, execs, etc. And another story about abandoning plans to open two restaurants in Florida.